Couch for railroad-cabs



-E. c. KNIGHT. Car Seat and Couch.

No. 27,297 v Patented. Feb. 28, 1860.

| j 1/ O o r H) n CDQ 3 a I B J a N Witnesses lnventon AM. FHOi'O-LITHO. C0- N-Y (OSBORl-ES PRCBESS.)

' UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

EDWARD C. KNIGHT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COUCH FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,297, dated February 28, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD C. KNIGHT, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have made new and useful Improvements in the Mode of Arranging Couches in Railroad-Cars, &c., and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to'the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1, represents a perspective view of my invention, and Fig. 2, an end view of the cushion.

In a former patent I described the manner of arranging couches so as to form two double couches.

The nature of my present invention consists in so arranging the upper couch that if desired it may be converted from one double couch to two single couches in a very short space of time, and with no difliculty.

A, A, represents the back of the seats upon which the couch is supported.

B, B, B, B, represent the jointed hinges by which the couch may be folded up against the'ceiling when not in use.

The mode of converting the double couch described in my former patent into two single couches, as shown in the drawing, is as follows. The couch is first divided through the center lengthwise. The two parts are then connected by a rod 0, moving freely upon a pivot upon each. This rod is in reality but a continuation of the rod B, B, and B, B, having one more joint. Having this connected these two halves of the former couch, the outer one is raised, and by means of the hinge is pushed back until its side rests against the side of the car, and the two halves bear the relation to each other shown in the drawing, that is to say, one is exactly above the other. This upper half is supported upon its outer edge by the rods 0, c, and upon its inner edge by a catch or any other suitable contrivance upon the side of the car.

I construct the cushions in the form shown in Fig. 2, which represents an end view of them. They are so constructed that when folded they will be of equal thickness throughout, but that when unfolded they will be thicker at one edge than at the other; say in the proportion of 4 to. 2; thus affording a substitute for a pillow.

The car may be ventilated by any means suitable for the purpose, but if the windows are made so as to lower fromthe top, as well as raise from the bottom, all the berths may be equally ventilated.

D is an extra seat made so as to fall from the side of the car between the two ordinary seats. When the seats are turned toward each other as shown in the drawing there is sufiicient room between them to place the extra seat, and thus accommodate an additional person. It is supported by hinges attached to the side of the car, and by a leg under its outer edge. A table may be formed in a similar manner by lowering a portion of the panel between the windows.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Dividing a double couch, so constructed as to fold up by means of double hinged rods, against the ceiling of a car, into two single couches, by making a third joint in the rods, so that either one double couch or two single couches may be formed as desired substantially as herein set forth.

EDIVARD C. KNIGHT.

WVitnesses J. G. MINI CHILD, J. H. B. JENKINS. 

